Runaway Smoke
by loob88
Summary: Teasel ran away from her home because of what her mother did. She made it to Lumoise City and hid in a back alley. Then she found Ash. He took her in. She felt safe. But she never knew how long it would last...


**A/N: This story is AshxOC. Ash and OC are 18 in this.**

**Flames will be used to roast :3**

**Enjoy!**

**-Loob88**

I watched the city around me blur in my tears as I ran down the nearest alleyway. Mom was probably still after me, I guessed. She probably still hated me, still didn't love me as much as she used to.

I winced as a wall caught the cut on my left shoulder. Blood still pooled out of it, and my thin t-shirt was barely masking it. I ripped it off (the t-shirt, not my cut) and wrapped it round my arm, not caring if anybody saw me. I was a reject anyway. It wouldn't have mattered if they had found me in a pool of blood, face-down.

Mom didn't want me. Dad didn't want me. My sister didn't want me.

I was doomed to be unwanted.

The sound of footsteps made me pause for a moment, freezing up as I watched a figure shuffle down the alleyway. As it drew closer, I breathed a sigh of relief. it wasn't Mom. It was a boy about my age. He had a pokeball in his hand, which he opened.

"Go, Pikachu!" He spoke in a commanding voice. I watched as little electric sparks formed around the Pokemon's cheek and lit up the dim alleyway. The boy studied me for a moment and I studied him.

"Hey, you OK?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Shove off or everybody'll notice I'm here." I growled. The boy didn't back away as expected. Instead, he moved a few steps closer, examining the loose torniquet I had made out of my t-shirt.

"That cut looks deep. I think you need to go to a Pokemon Centre. I'll take you if you want." He muttered.

"OK. If you insist. But you had better go away after that. Unless you want me to tell you what happened, which I REALLY don't want to. And, anyway, you've offered to help me, but I don't even know who you are." I mumbled.

"Ash Ketchum. Who are you?" The boy smiled.

"I'm Teasel Johnstone. But everybody calls me Tea. I see you have a Pokemon." I gave a weak smile back.

"Yeah, that's my Pikachu. He's been my partner Pokemon since the first day I started battling. Do you have one?" Ash beamed, hugging the yellow rodent Pokemon close to him.

"I have a Dedenne named Dusty, a Chespin named Charles and a Mightyena named Shadow. Anyway, I kinda need to get to the Pokemon Centre. It's 9:45 at night and I'm in a back alley, almost bleeding to death, in my bra and jean shorts. I don't know what people are gonna think." I giggled softly, trying to make light of the situation.

"Come on then." Ash spoke quickly, putting Pikachu back in his Pokeball and lifting me like I weighed little more than a Cleffa. He ran down the back alley and into an area I vaguely recognized as Magenta Plaza. He darted into the Pokemon Centre, still holding me. He darted straight up to the nurse, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Can you treat humans?" He asked. The nurse looked me up and down, spotting the cut on my shoulder.

"I think so. I've managed to stitch up a few Pokemon in my time, so a girl like her's gonna be no worry. Now I'll just take her with me." She smiled, grabbing me and whisking me off into the surgical room.

I had no idea what was happening, nor did I ever want to.

**Ash's POV:**

_I don't think that girl has a home to go to._

The thought crossed my mind as I sat in the waiting room, twiddling my thumbs. It was purely by accident that I had stumbled across the girl-I wasn't even sure WHY I was walking down the back alley at the time-but I was glad I did.

Just then, I spotted her and the nurse walking towards me.

"You all patched up?" I asked.

"Yeah. Look at it!" She giggled, pointing to a jagged cut and a mangled mess of stitches.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been trained in stitching up humans." The nurse apologized.

"Nah, don't worry. I survived." Tea grinned.

"So, uh, Tea...Do you have a place of your own?" I asked. In an instant, I realised it was the wrong question to ask.

"I..Uh..Well...No. It's a long story." She mumbled.

"UH...Would you like to stay at my apartment? It's not very big, but it can fit two." I offered. She nodded.

"I can tell you then." She murmured. I nodded, and we walked out of the Pokemon Centre together.

0o0o0o0

**Tea's POV**

"So...What happened?"

Ash asked as we sat down in his apartment.

"Well, three years ago, Mom and Dad got divorced. Dad got to keep my younger sister, Chloe, and Mom got me. But she didn't want me. So, from the day I got home with her, the abuse began. She'd never take me to the Pokemon Centre afterwards to get healed, either. I just had to put up with the bruises and cuts. One night, she even broke my foot. She called the doctor in then, said she was moving the sofa round with my help and it fell on my foot. Then, three years of abuse culminated in this. She cut my arm open and threw me outside in the rain to die. That was a couple hours ago. Then you found me. I'm scared she'll come back for me." I murmured, the tears dripping from my eyes.

"Don't worry, Tea. The last place she would expect you to go is to an apartment in Lumiose. Where does she live, anyway?" Ash asked.

"Mom lives in Ambrette. It's just an hour's drive from here, and she'll have guessed that I'd be hiding in a big city." I muttered. Ash put his arm around me, being careful to avoid the stitches.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe here. I have other Pokemon, too, including a Charizard. So you're protected. You can borrow my clothes until we get you some new ones tomorrow. I'll pay for you to have your hair cut and dyed so your Mom won't recognize you." He soothed. I smiled. I felt safe.

"Sooo...Where do I sleep?" I asked, looking round.

"In my bed. I'll take the sofa." Ash suggested. I nodded.

"Thanks. I need my sleep. I'm getting changed into my pyjamas-I packed some in my bag-so no peeking!" I giggled, watching Ash cover his eyes as I got changed.

"You can look now!" I smiled when I was done. I was in my Hello Skitty pyjamas, the only pair I had managed to salvage before I ran off. They were caked in blood, but I didn't care. Now for sleep. I crept off to bed, praying for sweet dreams instead of nightmares.

0o0o0o0

**Ash's POV**

I crept into my room silently and sat on the edge of the bed. I could hear Tea screaming and I had come in to check on her.

"You OK?" I asked.

"I had a nightmare again. About Mom." She muttered.

"OK. Don't worry. How about we both sleep in my sleeping bags that I keep for emergencies? Camp out on the living room floor." I asked.

"Sure thing, dude." Tea grunted sleepily, getting up.

I kinda felt sorry for the kid.

But she was safe now.


End file.
